Famed atheist Christopher Hitchens died last month. He was 62 when he lost his fight against esophageal cancer. Hitchens was relentless in his attacks against the concept of God. After the release of his bestselling book “God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything” he toured, promoting his book and debating religious leaders.
In an interview in Portland, Oregon, Mr. Hitchens was questioned by Unitarian minister* Marilyn Sewell.** The following was a part of their early conversation.
Sewell: “The religion you cite in your book is generally the fundamentalist faith of various kinds. I’m a liberal Christian and I don’t take the stories of Scripture literally. I don’t believe in the doctrine of atonement (that Jesus died for our sins, for example). Do you make a distinction between fundamentalist faith and liberal religion?”
Hitchens: “I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re not in any meaningful sense a Christian.”
Ms. Sewell didn’t want to travel down that road so she replied, “Let me go someplace else.” It’s funny and also terribly sad that an atheist grasped this rock bottom truth of Christianity more than a liberal Christian minister. Hitchens was absolutely correct in what he said to Sewell. We should believe what the Bible says about Christ if we desire to be a Christian. In fact we should believe what the Scripture says—period. The truths of Scripture, especially the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our salvation, needs to be proclaimed with love and conviction from the pulpit, in the home and out on the streets. You can’t just pick and choose truth to fit your religious taste buds. Christianity is not an “a la carte” religion.
It’s been rumored that Christopher Hitchens may have had a death-bed conversion. His own writing in the last year before his death has caused some to raise an eye brow about what he believed about God and Christ. There is no certain way for us to know what was in his heart however. Only God knows.
But here is what we can know. God is very merciful and gracious. He does allows fox hole conversions (Luke 23:39-42). We also know that God, the Judge of all the earth, will do what is right and just (Genesis 18:25). It is true that we also reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7, 8). It has been said that the way you live is the way you die—in hope or without it (Ephesians 2:12, 13).
This new year will provide many opportunities for us to share the love of God and the good news of Jesus Christ with family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. Let’s “always be ready to give a defense [or answer] to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear (1 Peter 3:15).” Be ready to love people and offer truth and hope to those who desire to have both.
*This is the Unitarian Universalist church, a very liberal, non-biblical denomination. It should not be confused with the concept of Biblical Unitarianism which promotes the Scriptural teaching that there is only one God, Yahweh, who is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.
**For the full interview see http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/arts-and-entertainment/category/books-and-talks/articles/christopher-hitchens/
Know thy enemy is one of the principles of war and we are in a Spiritual battle at all times. Too many enemy's of the true faith know more about it than some leaders and that is not by accident. In the end this aspect of the story reinforces what we are commanded to do, namely learn the truth by reading and studying Gods word for ourselves so that it can be defended at every turn. Bless.
ReplyDeleteCorrection - read "supposed leaders"
ReplyDeleteUsually, for an athiest it is the truth that they fear the most in the scriptures. As christians this Truth is what we should be embracing, sharing, and being in humble awe of.
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